Northern Thailand News
Northern Thailand news, Chiang Mai news, business, tourism, and culture—stay updated with breaking stories, local events, and travel insights from Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Pai, and beyond. Get the latest from The Thaiger, your trusted Northern Thailand news source.
-
Sponsored Is private health insurance in Thailand worth it? Real costs vs risks explained
Thailand has a strong healthcare system with both public and private options. Public hospitals offer affordable care, but many people, including expats, choose private health insurance for faster service, modern facilities, and more treatment choices. To decide if private health...
-
Heroic Thai teacher thwarts armed intruder: Calls for improved school safety measures in Thailand
A heroic teacher, who defended students and faculty from an armed intruder, has drawn praise from the government. Thawatchai Duangtham, a teaching assistant at Ban Nam Phu Hin Lat School in Chaiyaphum in northeast Thailand, bravely fought off an armed intruder, sustaining injuries to his hand and arm in the process. Deputy government spokesperson, Kaenika Unjit, commended his courage and…
-
Northern Thailand: Gate to Heaven stirs debate due to similarity to Bali temple
A recent opening of a new tourist spot in Nan province, Thailand, named Gate to Heaven sparked widespread criticism for its striking resemblance to the famous Lempuyang Temple in Bali, Indonesia. The site’s replication of the iconic Lepuyang Temple ignited a heated online debate about cultural appropriation and originality in tourism. The Gate to Heaven became a trending topic on…
-
Northeast Thailand: Teenager fatally shot after Carabao concert at Surin Elephant Festival
A 17 year old teenager was fatally shot during a violent confrontation at the Surin Elephant Festival today, following Thai rock band Carabao’s last concert at the festival. The annual event, which attracted over 20,000 spectators, took place at the Srinagarind Stadium in Surin, Thailand. Tensions escalated after midnight as groups of teenagers began to leave the venue. A heated…
-
Northeast Thailand: Knife-wielding man causes chaos at school in Khon Kaen
A shocking incident occurred at a school in Khon Kaen when a mentally disturbed man wielding a knife chased teachers and students around the flagpole, leading to injuries. The man was later apprehended by the police. The incident took place at 8.30am, at Ban Namphu Hin Lat School in Khon Kaen, Chaiyaphum province. The man, identified as 37 year old…
-
Korat Cat Pants: Thailand’s new cultural symbol takes on Elephant Pants
The Korat Chamber of Commerce is championing the Korat Cat Pants as a new cultural symbol and potential rival to Thailand’s famous Elephant Pants. The product is part of a strategic effort to add value to local goods and services bearing the symbol of Korat, enhancing their recognition among tourists and bolstering their value in the tourism industry. This follows…
-
Thai woman demands justice after husband abandons her following 12 million baht lottery win
A 26 year old woman from Buriram province finds herself in dire straits with her three year old daughter after her husband, who won a lottery prize of 12 million baht, abandoned them and declared he had a new wife. The woman, identified as Janya (surname withheld), hails from Lahan Sai district in Buriram. Seeking legal assistance through media outlets,…
-
Insurance company Allianz Ayudhya investigates alleged misuse of student’s homework for telemarketing
Insurance company Allianz Ayudhya is investigating the alleged misuse of students’ homework for telemarketing purposes. The company was alerted to the issue when a parent from a prominent school in Khon Kaen province complained about receiving an unsolicited call from an insurance agent attempting to sell insurance and savings plans for his daughter. The agent claimed to have obtained the parent’s…
-
TikTok user introduces followers to Thai dish of golden orb spider (video)
A TikTok personality, known as @tdploy, recently introduced her followers to an unusual dish, Golden Orb Spider from her native region. The dish, Golden Orb Spider (แมงย่างซี้น), prepared from a large spider indigenous to Thailand, sparked curiosity amongst her online community yesterday (November 17). Despite the creepy appearance, @tdploy assures that its taste is surprisingly delicious. Nestled within the forest,…
-
Northeast Thailand: Fatal motorcycle accident in Udon Thani caused by poorly lit conditions
A fatal motorcycle accident in the dark claimed the life of a 25 year old man from Udon Thani province. The incident occurred near a concrete factory situated on the Na Kha-Sum Sao Road, in the large Thon district of Na Kha. The accident scene was attended to by Police Lieutenant Colonel Ratchapol Morarat, an investigative officer of Na Kha…
-
Northern Thailand: Massive cold front triggers thunderstorms and temperature drop
A massive cold front has descended upon Northern Thailand, causing thunderstorms and strong winds, according to the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD). This is expected to result in a significant drop in temperature, with an additional cold snap predicted to hit tonight. The cold front has already enveloped Vietnam’s upper region, Laos and the South China Sea. As a consequence, northern…
-
Uthai Thani resident scoops 60 million baht in BAAC Gold Bag lottery
A lucky resident of Ban Khok, Uthai Thani, became the latest millionaire after winning the first prize in the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) Gold Bag lottery. The winner walked away with a staggering 60 million baht in the first draw of the lottery. The BAAC Thailand Facebook page announced the news yesterday. The post congratulated the new red-label…
-
Thailand’s Den Chai-Chiang Rai-Chiang Khong railway project on track for 2028
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) is progressing well with the Den Chai-Chiang Rai-Chiang Khong double-track railway project, a 323.1-kilometre initiative set to be operational by 2028. Construction of the railway started on February 15 last year and is ahead of its schedule with 3% completion while 80% of the required land has been expropriated, as per Nirut Maneephan, the…
-
Northeast Thailand: Giant python causes alarm in Surin chicken coop
A colossal python, exceeding 4 metres in length and as thick as a leg, caused a scare in a chicken coop in Surin‘s Khuha Sawan subdistrict. The incident occurred on November 2, leading to the rousing of a rescue team from the Ban Raeng Subdistrict Municipality to assist. The rescue workers, equipped with venomous animal-handling tools, responded swiftly to aid…
-
National artist Chalermchai Kositpipat turns impromptu photographer at Rong Khun Temple
A delightful incident unfolded at Rong Khun Temple in Chiang Rai, where a foreign couple sought help for a souvenir photo from Thailand national artist Chalermchai Kositpipat. The couple unknowingly asked Chalermchai, National Artist in Visual Arts (Painting), donned in full motorcycling gear, to capture their moment. The artist obliged, capturing their moment in front of the temple he had…
-
Northern Thailand: National Police Chief resolves longstanding conflict at Wat Hiranyaram
National Police Chief, Sukhawimon Thotsakdi, better known as Big To, led a team to Wat Hiranyaram, also known as Wat Luang Por Ngern Bang Klaan, in Phichit province, aiming to resolve long-standing conflicts. Joined by Jaroonkiat Pankeaw, the Commander of the Central Investigation Bureau, and Phumisak Kasemsuk, the Secretary-General of the National Anti-Corruption Commission, they arrived at the temple around 2pm.…
-
Khon Kaen karaoke bar raided: 10 workers arrested for operating without permits
A high-profile karaoke bar establishment in Khon Kaen, Thailand, was stormed by the police, resulting in the arrest of 10 female workers operating without permits. Some of these workers had also entered the country illegally. The business owner was implicated in the operation, which took place at 1pm today, at the Immigration Check Office in Khon Kaen, situated within Passenger…
-
Thai rangers seize 200,000 amphetamine pills after clash with drug traffickers
A deadly clash between Thai rangers and suspected drug traffickers broke out late at night on November 11, at Mae Fah Luang, Chiang Rai. The conflict ended with one trafficker lifeless and the seizure of 200,000 amphetamine pills, as confirmed by officials from the Pha Muang Army. The Pha Muang Army officials explained that their investigative team had received a…
-
Northern Thailand: Burmese teenager shot dead in Tak following love feud on Facebook
A brutal incident in Tak province saw a Burmese teenager fatally shot in the face after a Facebook challenge resulted in a confrontation between two rival gangs. The dispute was over a shared love interest, with peace talks culminating in the fatal shooting. Police in Mae Sot district of Tak province were quick to respond and apprehend the culprit along…
-
2 foreigners killed and many injured in minibus accident in Chiang Mai
A minibus overturned on a road in the northern province of Chiang Mai yesterday. Two foreigners were killed and more than 10 passengers were injured in the accident. The minibus was transporting passengers between Chiang Mai province and Pai district in Mae Hong Son province. When the vehicle reached the Pa Pae district of Chiang Mai at 9.30am yesterday, November…
-
Mild earthquake shakes Pai district affecting four provinces
A 4.7 magnitude earthquake at a depth of 2 kilometres shook Pai district, Mae Hong Son province, causing tremors that were felt across four provinces. The Geology Department reported that the quake occurred today, with no initial damage found. The earthquake originated in the northern part of Wiang Nuea subdistrict, Pai district, Mae Hong Son province. It was followed by…
-
Charitable gesture: KFC chicken no-show turns sour, but Thai students cluck their way to happiness
A charitable gesture that went awry ended on a happy note for students at a school in Nan Province, Thailand. An anonymous benefactor had promised to donate educational resources and treat the students to fried chicken. However, the person didn’t show up, leaving the children and their teachers waiting in vain, a situation that quickly went viral online. The students…
-
Pot predicament: Thai mum blames foreign neighbours’ toke trouble for son’s illness
A Thai woman took to social media to demand responsibility from her foreign neighbours after their personal cannabis use allegedly caused her son’s illness. The woman, Arpapan Jaiman, posted on Facebook on November 2 that a foreigner had just rented a room within her condominium in the northern province of Chaing Mai. Arpapan accused the foreigner and his friends of smoking cannabis…
-
Uthai Thani: Monk driving Mazda causes fatal accident, one dead, four injured
A fatal accident occurred yesterday in Lan Sak, Uthai Thani, when a monk driving a Mazda pickup truck lost control of his vehicle, killing one woman and injuring four others. The accident occurred on the Lan Sak-Thap Than Road, Moo 1, Pradu Yuen Subdistrict, Lan Sak District, Uthai Thani, less than 500 metres from the Pa Ka intersection, near the…
-
Fog, light rain forecast in northern Thailand, south braces for heavy rainfall
The Thailand Meteorological Department (TMD) today forecasts foggy conditions and light rain in some parts of northern Thailand, while heavy rainfall continues in some southern areas. The 24-hour forecast suggests that high atmospheric pressure or a cool air mass is gradually weakening and covering the upper northern parts, north eastern region, and the South China Sea. This, combined with the easterly…
-
National artist Chalermchai Kositpipat retires to enjoy motorcycle travels
Chalermchai Kositpipat, a national artist and creator of Wat Rong Khun, announced his retirement, adding he will spend his remaining days enjoying life on his motorcycle. Born on February 15, 1955, in Rong Khun, Chiang Rai, Chalermchai is best known for his Thai mural paintings in Wat Phuttha Prateep in London, England, and his art at Wat Rong Khun. Chalermchai…
-
Vanishing act: Thai man’s disappearance sparks monk’s mystical ceremony
A 49 year old Thai man mysteriously vanished from his home in the early hours of October 26 leading to a monk’s mystical ceremony to find him. Residents from Mo 9, Nern Phayom, Thung Pho, Nong Chang, Uthai Thani, and neighbouring villages were joined by over 30 officials in a desperate search that lasted four days. Their journey led them…
-
Artistic intrigue: Thai national artist’s chilly encounter with graffiti mysteries
A compelling story about Chalermchai Kositpipat, a Thai national artist, has been shared on the Facebook page Little Mouse on the Cold Mountain Peak. The narrative unfolds in the chilly Chiang Rai province, near Wat Rong Khun, where an anonymous group painted graffiti on a wall. One night, a group covertly began to create street art on a wall opposite…
-
Golden opportunity gone wrong: Burmese man arrested for gold necklace heist
Police arrested a Burmese man for stealing a gold necklace worth 65,000 baht from a Thai woman in the northern province of Chiang Mai. The 42 year old victim, surnamed Oil, filed a complaint at Mueang Chiang Mai Police Station on October 29, saying a man snatched a gold necklace she was wearing and fled at around 4am. The theft…
-
Deputy Interior Minister’s whirlwind day: Prayers, fire, and fashion in Bangkok
Deputy Interior Minister Chada Thaiseth started his day with religious activities, then assisted in a fire incident during the day, and ended it at a fashion show in Bangkok, showcasing his versatile persona. The deputy interior minister revealed the incident of rescuing an elderly woman from a burning building in Uthai Thani yesterday. While attending a merit-making event yesterday, he…
-
Suicide of Wild Boar footballer sparks nationwide query into mental health support
The tragic suicide of Dom, a member of the “Wild Boar” football team, has left many with questions. As per a report by the BBC, Dom, full name Duangpetch Promthep, was one of the 13 individuals from the football team who were trapped in the Tham Luang cave and died eight months after his rescue. The cause of his death…
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.